The second HDMI port, which is MHL-enabled, is hidden behind a panel that requires a screwdriver to remove.

Bottom Line

The ViewSonic LightStream PJD6350 projector delivers both a high-quality data image and surprisingly watchable video, given the native XGA resolution.

The ViewSonic LightStream PJD6350 ($679.99) goes substantially beyond the basics for a lightweight XGA (1,024-by-768) DLP projector. Most notably, it offers network connectivity, surprisingly good sound quality for its size and weight, and what ViewSonic claims is best-in-class color accuracy (more on that later). Arguably its most impressive achievement, however, is that it does a good job of avoiding rainbow artifacts even with full-motion video. For anyone who needs to show video, that makes the PJD6350 one of the few DLP business projectors that's worth a close look.

Similar Products

Among the PJD6350's more obvious competition is the Epson PowerLite 98 XGA 3LCD Projector, which is our Editors' Choice low-cost XGA model. One of the key differences between the two is that the Epson 98 is built around three LCD chips instead of a single DLP chip. The design guarantees that it can't show rainbow artifacts at all, giving it a significant edge over most DLP models. However, the PJD6350 does such a good job of avoiding rainbow artifacts that it comes close to nullifying the Epson model's advantage on this score.

Another key benefit the Epson 98 offers is that its color brightness and white brightness match. Most DLP projectors, including the PJD6350, have a substantial difference between the two, with color brightness being lower. The difference means that full-color images won't be as bright as you would expect based on the white brightness, so the PJD6350's 3,300-lumen rating isn't directly comparable to the Epson 98's 3,000-lumen rating.

More important than the effect on image brightness is that differences between color and white brightness can affect color quality as well. (For more on color brightness, see Color Brightness: What It Is, Why It Matters.) With that in mind, and because ViewSonic says that the PJD6350 offers better color accuracy than other projectors in its class, I extended our usual suite of projector tests to include images designed to bring out color fidelity problems that DLP projectors tend to have.

As is typical for the technology, colors were noticeably off in testing using the brightest preset mode. Carrots in one image looked brown instead of orange, for example. However, with most other presets, including the default Standard mode, colors were well within a reasonable range, and the image was only a little less bright. The Epson 98—and other three-chip LCD projectors—does a still better job of delivering good color quality at closer to their full brightness, but the PJD6350 does a notably good job for a DLP business projector.

SetupThe PJD6350 weighs only 4 pounds 14 ounces and measures 4.1 by 12.4 by 9 inches (HWD), making it small and light enough to carry easily. However, it is really designed for permanent installation. it has a network connector; a cover, held in place by screws, to hide the clutter of cables and exposed ports; and built-in support for a network management system that lets you control up to 256 projectors over your network from an administrator's PC.

Setup is standard, with a manual focus and manual 1.3X zoom. Image inputs on the back include an HDMI port, a VGA port for a computer or component video, and both S-video and composite video ports. The LAN port is strictly for network management. Note that the HDMI port can accept 3D input directly from Blu-ray players or other video devices, but with only 1,024-by-768 resolution, and no 3D glasses supplied with the projector, it's unlikely that many people will take advantage of the 3D support.

ViewSonic has also hidden a second HDMI port under a cover on one side of the projector. The second port is MHL-enabled, which means you can connect an MHL-enabled mobile device by HDMI cable. You need a screwdriver to remove the cover, so it's not easy to repeatedly connect and disconnect a cable.

If you take advantage of the second port, it will more likely be to mount ViewSonic's optional Wi-Fi dongle ($179) or an equivalent MHL device. According to ViewSonic, its dongle will let you stream multimedia content, as well as connect from devices that support Miracast or standard Wi-Fi. ViewSonic offers free apps to let you connect from Windows and Mac PCs and from iOS and Android phones and tablets.

Image Quality and Audio

The PJD6350 scored well on our quality tests for data images, handling our standard suite of DisplayMate screens without serious problems. Colors were nicely saturated in all modes in our tests, although in a few preset modes, some were a little dark in terms of a hue-saturation-brightness color model. The projector holds detail well. White text on black is easily readable at 6.8 points, and black text on white is crisp and readable at 9 points.

As with any XGA projector, video quality is limited by the low resolution. However, it's roughly equivalent to what you would expect from a good-quality standard-definition (SD) TV, making it highly watchable. The near absence of rainbow artifacts also helps. I saw some minor, and infrequent, hints of rainbows in test clips that tend to bring them out, but I'm not sure I would have noticed even those if I hadn't been looking for them

The built-in audio system was a pleasant surprise, with the 10-watt mono speaker delivering good sound quality with enough volume to easily fill a small to midsize conference room or classroom. If you want still better quality, higher volume, or stereo, you can connect an external sound system to the audio output.

The PJD6350 matches the Epson 98 for its longer-than-typical rated lamp life, at 5,000 hours in Normal mode and 6,000 hours in Eco mode. However, the replacement lamps are a hefty $279 each, compared with only $99 for the Epson 98 lamps.

If don't mind a having projector that shows rainbow artifacts easily with video—or you don't even need to show video—you might want to consider a less expensive DLP XGA model, like the ViewSonic PJD6235. If you want one that absolutely can't show these artifacts, you'll be better off with the Epson 98, which also has the advantages of matching color brightness and white brightness, along with a lower cost for replacement lamps.

That said, the Viewsonic LightStream PJD6350 is well worth considering. It shows far fewer rainbows than most DLP projectors, delivers good color quality as promised, and offers some connectivity options that the Epson model lacks—notably the MHL-enabled HDMI port, which opens the door to adding MHL-enabled devices.

About the Author

M. David Stone is an award-winning freelance writer and computer industry consultant. Although a confirmed generalist, with writing credits on subjects as varied as ape language experiments, politics, quantum physics, and an overview of a top company in the gaming industry. David is also an expert in imaging technologies (including printers, moni... See Full Bio

ViewSonic LightStream PJD6350

ViewSonic LightStream PJD6350

Get Our Best Stories!

This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.